Who Will Be Available At Pick No. 54?

We’ve spent plenty of time in this space talking about who the Eagles might take in the first round, and that conversation will continue in the coming weeks.

But what about at pick No. 54? Last year in the second round, the team picked up TE Zach Ertz, and the year before it was inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks. Both have proven to be talented players with upside.

Evan Silva of Rotoworld recently put out a two-round mock draft. With the 54th pick, he has the Eagles taking Ole Miss WR Donte Moncrief:

Moncrief's 2013 tape leaves something to be desired, but he has the physical makeup of a No. 1 wide receiver. Riley Cooper is a lower-end No. 2 wideout, and Jeremy Maclin has a one-year deal.

I provided an in-depth breakdown of Moncrief last week. The measurables are outstanding. Moncrief is 6-2, 221 and ran a 4.40 at the combine. He played in a spread, no-huddle last year and is a willing blocker.

But Moncrief's measurables didn't always transfer to the field (granted, he did not get great QB play). He didn't consistently come down with 50/50 balls and often failed to use his size to his advantage. Moncrief showed flashes of being a big-time playmaker and is only 20-years-old. This would be a bit of an upside pick, but the Eagles could be intrigued by Moncrief.

Meanwhile, Chris Burke of SI.com suggests Stanford OLB Trent Murphy to the Eagles in the second round. Murphy (6-5, 250) has the size (33 7/8-inch arms; 11 1/8-inch hands). The problem is he doesn't grade out well athletically:

Murphy led the nation last year with 15 sacks and was second with 23.5 tackles for loss.

I still need to take a closer look at Murphy's production from last year, but given that the Eagles want their outside linebackers to be able to fill versatile roles, I wonder if they would pass on him in favor of someone like Louisville's Marcus Smith. Burke has Smith going 55th - one pick after Murphy - in his mock.

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Will

If they grab Kevin Benjamin with the first pick, I’d like them to grab Jeremiah Attaochu or Deone Bucannon here at 54…

Jeff Asay

So you’re one who is high on KB. Besides his size, what is it about him that makes him a #1 worthy talent? Because everything this site and others have said about him says this guy has risk factors which project possible bust.

Will

If your gonna take him it has to be in the first he will not make it to pick #54…High risk/High Reward…He’s raw but I think under Chip and the other coaches they can bring out the best in him. I like his height, weight and speed. I like that Kelvin is a mismatch on the outside and in the red zone…

Jeff Asay

4.6 speed, slowest 60 yard shuttle of all WR at Combine, tends to make drops….maybe he’s another one of those big WR like the Chargers run out there. I see the potential, but I lean toward a Jordan Mathews with size plus sub-4.5 speed. KB doesn’t even jump out on the bench press, which surprises the heck out of me.

Tommy McCabe Jr

You know what all that combine crap means? NOTHING! Mike Mamula was a combine BEAST, sucked royal ass on the field.

Jeff Asay

Basing decisions on the Combine alone is rather meaningless. I agree. We’re all scarred by the Combine freak that was Mike Mamula. But we can’t completely ignore it either. It’s part of the mix. Just as the SAT in a vacuum in pretty meaningless, but it carries weight on college applications. KB is basically a tight end who needs to work on his strength. He’s not a #1 pick. If the Eagles can trade back and get him early second, I’m ok with that. He could become an Anquan Boldin type. We shall see what NFL GM’s think of him in a couple weeks.

Jerry Pomroy

I’m looking Mathews over Benjamin as well. I’d rather have the second coming of TO (minus the headaches), than the second coming of Plaxico Burress.

Bullwinkle

Kelvin is already 23 and still considered a raw talent. He is very big, but does not have elite athletic ability. The Eagles already have 3 large TEs they can use along with 1 fairly large WR (who runs the 40 faster than Kelvin). If the Eagles are going to draft on potential, I would like to see them draft a 20-21 year old with superior athletic ability.

Jeff Asay

Honestly, who cares about age? All seniors going to the NFL used to be 23. 26 could be a problem, but 23? Those 20-21 year olds can get hurt just like anyone else. Best player period.

Bullwinkle

He should be a polished receiver by age 23. It raises the question of whether he will ever be polished. He is a below average athlete by WR standards. Here is what the draft tracker says about his weaknesses.

Weaknesses

Lacks elite, top-end speed and many catches are contested. Hand use could improve releasing vs. tight, press coverage. Overly grabby. Is not yet a nuanced route runner and does not sink his hips and pop in and out of his breaks. Does not shake many defenders after the catch. Will make the easy concentration drop and focus could stand to improve at the break point (three drops vs. Florida). Seeks to run before securing the ball and double-catches more than he should. Blocking effort/sustainability has room to improve on the move. Has a 32 1/2-inch vertical jump and recorded the slowest 60-yard shuttle time (12.10 seconds) of any receiver at the combine.

Will

If your gonna post his weakness at least post the rest of the scouting report..

ANALYSISSTRENGTHS Rare size — is a physical mismatch vs. defensive backs and linebackers. Eats cushion and separates with long strides. Strong approach to the ball — is not easily knocked off course and will enter the middle on crossers. Outstanding jumpball catcher — climbs the ladder, plucks the ball at its highest point and regularly snatches it out of the air with superb body control and the grace of a ballerina. Very good separation speed. Adjusts surprisingly well for the low ball and tracks it well over his shoulder. Energetic football demeanor. Confident and competitive. Strong-handed. Uses his body well to shield the defender from the ball and can beat double coverage. Good run strength after the catch (see three tackles broken on TD run vs. Florida) and does not go down easy. Strong enough to handle defensive ends when motioned inside to chip and delivered some head-snapping, crackback blocks (see North Carolina St.). Emerged as a clutch, go-to, big-play receiver — caught the game-winning TD in the national championship game vs. Auburn and consistently was targeted in critical situations and in the red zone. Scorched Florida CB Loucheiz Purifoy and created mismatch problems from the slot.WEAKNESSES Lacks elite, top-end speed and many catches are contested. Hand use could improve releasing vs. tight, press coverage. Overly grabby. Is not yet a nuanced route runner and does not sink his hips and pop in and out of his breaks. Does not shake many defenders after the catch. Will make the easy concentration drop and focus could stand to improve at the break point (three drops vs. Florida). Seeks to run before securing the ball and double-catches more than he should. Blocking effort/sustainability has room to improve on the move.BOTTOM LINE A monster-sized, intimidating, big-play receiver, Benjamin has the overall strength, length and wide catching radius that will demand extra coverage be rolled his way. Showed continual improvement, is still growing into the position, and possesses the traits to become a legitimate No. 1 receiver. A very intriguing mismatch weapon with ascending talent.-Nolan Nawrocki

Tommy McCabe Jr

I like how you used the three drop Florida game where he aced their defense for 9 rec 212 yds and 3 tds…..please continue tho. For Christs sake TO dropped 3+ per game for 16 years and everyone swings from his bean bag.

Andy124

Me

Warhound

Young men of 20 years are still growing. That’s why people care about age. When it comes to the slow grind on the body though, you are correct; in football it’s the football years that matter rather than the straight chronological age.

Engwrite

We already have a Benjamin in the team. His name is Zach Ertz. Like Benjamin he dropped lots of passes, but later in the season, he caught everything thrown his way.

Tommy McCabe Jr

Whats wrong with another?

engwrite

Benjamin drops 10% of the passes thrown his way. Dropped passes on third down are equivalent to a turnover.

Targets or catchable balls? If he sees 10 catchable balls thrown his way and drops 1 (10%), Im completely fine with that. I see a lot of premier WRs on the list Maggie posted that drop at a higher rate. Over/underthrown passes on 3rd down equal turnovers too Maybe teams should teams shy awaw from qbs that don’t complete 70% of passes or more? Gotta come stronger than that argument haha

Tommy McCabe Jr

I have to ask, where did all these additional picks come from? Maybe I missed in in another comment?

Will

Trading back….a few times starting with our 3rd…

Tommy McCabe Jr

Ok, makes more sense now. Nice picks btw. Im on board with that mock. Might tweak one or two nut overall I like it a lot.

Breakerdog

I am hoping for defense in the first round
Pryor
Fuller
Ha-Ha

Then WR with 54
J Matthews hear would be very nice.

Breakerdog

The issue with taking Moncrief at 54 is that there are a bunch of carbon copies of this guy available later.
Big, project able pass catchers who haven’t put it together yet.
M Bryant
C Lattimer
B Coleman

cliff henny

why choose? take both, especially if Eags can get out of #22 and add another 3rd. combo of Moncrief and Bryant might work really well (cant believe i’m coming around on him but he is athletic freak). DM could be around LOS WR while MB2 could be more of field stretcher. give them reduced playbook to master early…and then run the ball 50 times

Andy124

Eagles to the Draft:
“All your WR are belong to us.”

cliff henny

like a 6yr old girl…. MINE, MINE MINE!!!!
.
have heard Kelly saying he doesn’t want same skillset repeated, so those 2 as combo work.

Andy124

Like a broken record, I’m rooting for a pass rushing OLB the Eagles like in the 1st and A-Rob in the second. Great thing about the draft, I’m going to be hopeful for anybody we draft regardless of how it lines up with my wish-list.

cliff henny

yup. as long as the picks are athletic freaks that grey-up these spider graphs, i’ll be good. why guy like murphy doesn’t do much for me. probably a solid player, but with Kelly and staff coaching players up, swing for fences. not going to get jack-sheet in FA.

Andy124

I’m still scarred by Mamula. I want to keep the focus on the athletic freakishness in balance. I also only want WRs 6’2″ or taller, so I’m a total hypocrite. lol

cliff henny

just a longtime Eagles’ fan carrying a lot of baggage. hoping Kelly is the offensive and player development genius we all hope he is. if not, this high upside, draft freaky athletes, resign own and batting average the FA market is big waste of time.

Explorer51

Mine, mine, mine!

http://www.corcommunity.com/ theycallmerob

nice.

Jeff Asay

We need apples to apples on the spider graph. Murphy is compared to OLB’s while Smith to DE’s. Hard for us simple fans to get a clear picture in the comparison. You know the Eagles have done it by regrading Smith as an OLB.

cliff henny

2-cone is pretty surprising though. watched him a couple times live, and that slow 40 is pretty obvious. he gets in 17-14 slowed down beat on eachother game, he shines. same with skov.

Andy124

Weird that his 2-cone could be so quick when his 10-yard split is so slow. Very weird.

JofreyRice

They gotta acquire some extra picks. I think Skov will be around in the 4th, and could be a really nice player to stick behind DeMeco for a year. I think he’d fit the defense really well.

Jones could push Demeco or Trent from day 1. Experience at ILB and OLB makes him a helluva pickup if they can get him

Richard Colton

there are a number of players I’d be overjoyed with in the 29-35 range: KB, Dee, Su’a, Attaouchou, Marcus Smith, who I’d be tepid with at #22.

I’m starting to feel as strong about trying to trade down this year as I was against trading down last year.

JofreyRice

Yeah, I gotta watch Attaochu again. I saw the cutups and came away unimpressed, in terms of him being a 1st round pick, but Greg Cosell was raving about him. That makes me think I’m missing something.

I don’t want Smith at #22. Too high for a guy that had his pressure manufactured by favorable matchups. Like I said, I think he didn’t look great when engaging tackles. Nice athlete, smart, versatile, but I think you want more out of the passrush side for a 3-4 OLB at #22. I agree, if you can drop back and pick up some selections, and get him in the middle of the 2nd, that’s the way to do it.

Not sure I really like Kelvin Benjamin under any circumstances. I think he could be an out and out bust.

Richard Colton

Jaworski was raving about KB this morning on CSN Philly. For me, he’s too boom-or-bust to take straight up at #22. Now we take him at 31…then parlay that extra 3rd into a starter at OG/OT or ILB – I can live with the risk.

Tommy McCabe Jr

Every draft pick is boom or bust tho.

Warhound

No, “boom or bust” equates to an A+ or an F; lots of selections are somewhere in between those extremes.

Tommy McCabe Jr

At what point does that A+ or F apply? A guy could come in as a drafted A+, play his rookie equivalent to a B and by year three hes a C……outta the league by year 5. That’s a BOOM or BUST to a T. Aaron Curry??? Everyone seemed to have RGIII at A+ when he was drafted but in most eyes hes an F cuz he hasn’t done a damn thing but be hurt the last 2 seasons. Cant call success on draft night.

travis papa

He played OLB in a pro style 3-4 and was successful. Murphy is not a projection type guy he played the position and excelled. If he’s not a solid steady starter from day 1 he’s a high quality backup. Can’t go wrong with him in the 2nd. Smith and most others have maybe a higher ceiling but also higher risk. It’s all in what the coaching staff feels comfortable with.

Not knocking him, but not sure that was Geags theory. I pretty much thought that was a given based on their stance towards building through draft and filling holes in FA & mentioned it as such numerous times. If you’re not signing stars, your drafting for them. Hence my “swinging for the fences” draft strategy.

To me Smith is the consolation if they swing and miss and can’t hit it outta the park and land Barr (or possibly Dion). Barr is the only unique talent I see in this draft that stands alone & uncontested. I know everyone is all over Evans & I get it, but to me, he’s the best big receiver of a very good crop of big receivers. Smith being so new to the defensive side of the ball, as is Barr, screams high ceiling potential. Maybe not as high as Barr, but his versatility and steady improvement since flipping from QB, make him a sexy alternative to Chip, I’m sure.

Warhound

Need starters from 2nd round – not just back-ups. Consider: If you get starters from the first three rounds, and they play eight years, that’s 22 starters and the 3rd WR and the 5thDB. Every non-starting 2nd rounder means that you need to find a starter in round four or later. Sure, it happens but must plan for 2nd rounders to become starters.

Maggie

Didn’t the article Mention Zach Ertz? Backup last year.

Michael

- “plan for 2nd rounders to become starters.” Ertz will be starting sooner rather than later.

cheapmeat

Looks like his strength is lateral movement (cone drill, shuttle). Don’t care about straight line speed if he’s still getting the sacks

Rick H

K.Benjamin no thanks not until 3rd if at all. Just to not like him but I could be wrong. Fuller / Dennard ( if he falls) /Poyer/Cooks ( I believe he still will be there)/ 2nd Rd I would take Mathews or Robinson or Buchaneon or Smart depending on or if they go O or D in 1st. TRADING BACK makes a lot of sense with their 1st pick it even more likely with their 2nd round pick. Then end up with 2 third & 2 fourth picks. I can see the Eagles getting their guy in round 1 and again use their 2nd round pick to get two more picks plus their own third & fourth round picks

Tommy McCabe Jr

That first line sounded like a angry Auburn fan haha

Joe L

Not a fan of Trent Murphy at all. Very limited athlete, a poor mans Barwin.

JofreyRice

ha, yeah, not disagreeing in regards to Murphy, but did you ever see Barwin’s combine #’s? Guy outperformed Dion Jordan. He’s actually an excellent athlete.

Joe L

No I didn’t see Barwin’s numbers. He played TE for a season at Cincinnati and I think he could’ve made a good pro there.

Will

Moncrief or Matthews would make fine WR’s in the NFL…well in 20 days we will see how the draft unravels…can’t wait…

I think Murphy will be around in the 3rd or 4th. I’m not sure Smith will. I’d be OK with any of the three receivers, but like Robinson the most.

Joe L

I think Moncrief’s got a higher ceiling.

HowieGambleChipsAllDay

I haven’t seen Moncrief demonstrate an ability to blow somebody’s doors off the way Bryant can. Plus his hands are suspect IMO. Don’t know if you watched the videos in the 24/7 story about him from a few days ago? I thought he had too many bad drops.

HowieGambleChipsAllDay

I don’t like Moncrief a little bit. If you wanna project I love Martavis in the fourth or so if he last that long.

JofreyRice

I actually feel the same way about Martavius. Not a fan. I see him as a guy that will never meet his athletic ability. I think Moncrief could have been better on his own, but also suffered from some atrocious QB play. Martavius posted similar #’s playing with a legit college QB, across from the best WR in the nation. But that’s kind of the fun of this, seeing how it all works out.

HowieGambleChipsAllDay

I like Murphy a lot. He’s very good at edge setting. Coverage skills seem a bit limited but he can handle the flats well enough and generally holds his own on the short stuff.

The one thing I’m not seeing from any of these pass rushers is a variety of moves. They all seem to just try and beat a guy outside with speed. Haven’t seen any bull rushing or inside moves. If any body can point to some kids who do possess a real arsenal of moves I’d love to check him out.

JofreyRice

Dee Ford uses his hands a bit against Texas A&M. In general, though, I think it’s pretty rare to see developed hand usage and passrush moves in NCAA prospects. The guys we’re seeing are mostly just more physically dominant than their competition, they don’t need that yet. I think that’s why it’s difficult to project these guys, because it all kind of gets leveled out in the NFL, and the ability to succeed comes down to individual personality types, and how hard they work to perfect their craft. Unless they are just total physical freaks like JJ Watt–who does things that you probably wouldn’t coach someone to do, because he can get away with it–there is going to be a learning curve when they go up against guys like Jason Peters, Joe Thomas, Trent Williams, Tyron Smith, etc.

Joe L

I agree on Ford, I think he is more polished than people give him credit for.

Richard Colton

The thing with Dee Ford is that he does the one thing that gets discounted the further into the draft process we get – he makes plays against top competition.

HowieGambleChipsAllDay

I hear ya. I would just think it comes natural when you’re wrestling a guy who’s likely bigger than you that you try different things. ….. But as I sit here typing it dawns on me that they’re probably coached that way to maintain contain with all the zone read/option they have to face these days. IDK, I just like seeing QBs get smashed.

oreofestar

Wazzup guys…

jade laby

my Aunty Amelia got a new blue Land Rover
LR4 only from working part time off a home computer… helpful hints C­a­s­h­F­i­g­.­ℂ­o­m

HowieGambleChipsAllDay

Geags? Is that you buddy?

ryan pertl

Any chance Cody Latimer slips to this spot? He’d be perfect. I watched the tape of him and was blown away. He blocks like a TE, works hard on coverage teams (ST), and has amazing hands. 4.38-4.44 speed with an injured foot isn’t too bad either, hah.

DoctorRick

Too many names, too many possibilities at both #22 and 54# it probably might come down to who is left and who is BPA. I’m ready to just compile a list of who might be available at each spot and throw darts.

DoctorRick

Is Geagles ban permanent or temporary, anybody know?

mtn_green

I’d pound the table for Murphy in the second. He’s got so many intangibles it is ridiculous. Sets edge, splits double teams, has speed to keep QB from edge, defends passes, flattens TE across middle, catches fourth down FG fakes.

depends on who’s there I guess. I’m not anti Murphy, but would you take him ahead of any of the following?
Ford
Marcus Smith
Attaouchou

Maggie

Murphy does have a couple of points in his favor. That size which Kelly seems to like and he “led the nation” in sacks and was second in tackles for loss. His HC was Davis Shaw, and with good sports science and no classes to attend he could get into a more intense lifting regime. The ‘experts’ all say that straight-line speed doesn’t always mean much on the field anyway. (Jerry Rice) Where to draft him?

dislikedisqus

Of course Your posts heavily influence my evaluations but I agree with this. Moncrief screams Stephen Hill of NYJ to me. Smith seems like a 2d round grade to me.

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